Official records from the UK Parliament

Nigel Farage Wins First UK Parliament Seat in Clacton as Reform UK Surpasses Expectations with 13 Seats

Jul 5, 2024, 01:35 AM

Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, has won his first seat in the UK Parliament representing Clacton with an 8,000 majority, marking a significant political milestone after seven unsuccessful attempts. Exit polls initially projected Reform UK to win 13 seats, a surprising result that exceeded expectations and indicated a major electoral breakthrough for the party. Farage's victory in Clacton, where he overturned a 25,000 majority, is seen as a step towards his goal of shaking up British politics, similar to Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France. The final major poll before the election predicted Reform UK would win 17% of the vote, and Farage estimated the party could secure 6 million votes. The party's strong performance, winning four seats so far, has disrupted traditional voting patterns, particularly impacting the Conservative Party. Farage has declared that this is just the beginning of a broader movement, aiming to challenge the current Labour government and establish a significant presence in Parliament.